When I got home the other night, the first thing I did was call my mom and tell her, "I pet a reindeer today!"
Bear in mind, I am 24 years old and haven't lived at home for the passed 5 years, but the very first thing I wanted to do was tell my mom all about my awesome day at Santa's Village. Let me start at the beginning.
When my best friends Dani and Jason asked me a good place to bring their two sons to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation, I knew just the place. We all planned to take a long weekend and visit Santa's Village in Jefferson, NH. Just 25 minutes away from the Hampton Inn it was a perfect attraction to see. I had never been there before so I was just as excited as 9 year old Joshua and 10 year olds Jason and Jared to visit the North Pole in the White Mountains. I really didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised when even my wildest hopes were exceeded. I was blown away by the park and the attention to detail.
As any parent or relative of a special needs child will attest, going to an attraction can be a wonderful and thrilling experience to share with the whole family, or it could be a very frustrating event for all involved. Before we start our tour I want to take a moment to extend a Thank You to all of the staff and "Helpers" at Santa's Village for their unsung patience and understanding. Little Jason is autistic, so his parents were sure to take every precaution to ensure the day would be fun for him. We were allowed to bring a large wagon for him in case he got tired and needed to rest, and the staff at the water park, food outlets and all of the ride operators were outstanding in the way they accommodated our party's needs. If you're looking for a place to take the family when you have special needs to think of, Santa's Village is the right place. Jason had an absolutely amazing day!
We made sure we had a pretty early start, well before lunch, and we decided going in that we were going to start near the Yule Log Flume and end the day at HoHo H2O before heading home.
The Elfabet Game: I was told by my coworkers that the first thing we had to do inside the gate was stop at Elf University and get ready to play the Elfabet Game. Throughout the park are 26 little elf statues, each with its' own letter, name, and story that helps you locate them. Each elf holds in its hand a punch that you slip your game tag into and it punches out its letter. When you collect all 26, you have been around the entire park, and you turn your tag in at Elf University for personalized diploma and a special gift! We had to start right away and throughout the day, as the kids started to lag or get tired, all it took was to spot another elf and they all went running to fill in their cards!
Dani and I had our own cards!
So we headed to the Yule Log Flume
All four boys hamming it up for the camera
After the flume we headed further into the park and checked out some of the rides like Himalaya, Bumper Cars, and Little Elf Flying School.
Little Elf Flying School
Jared getting the hang of the flying bar
One of the boys' favorite rides was the Little Drummer Boy. Basically a spinning teacup-style ride, both the kids and the adults enjoyed the challenge of spinning as fast as we dared.
Both big and little Jason enjoying the ride
Joshua and Jared pushing the limits
We grabbed lunch at the Burger Meister food court on the north east side of the park. The selection was great, even the picky eaters were happy with the options.
After lunch we decided to take it slow, so we glided along on the Skyway Sleigh Monorail. What a great way to view the park from above!
Jared, Joshua, and I being serious as can be....kinda
Dani enjoying herself with her two favorite Jasons!
How can there be more you ask? Thats what we thought! but while we were on the Skyway Sleigh we saw the Reindeer Rendezvous, and we knew we had to head straight there.
Joshua petting Blitzen
Dani and Cupid
Prancer and Dasher
After the Reindeer Rendezvous we decided to meander our way straight towards the water park. On the way we stopped to ride the Chimney Drop and see the Blacksmith, who trades rings for smiles
Jared and Joshua enjoying the Chimney
Dani getting fitted for her custom ring
So finally we made it to the last section of rides before the water park. On the way we drove antique cars, and rode Rudy's Rapid Transit Coaster
The boys even took a turn on the Red Hot Racers!
So without further ado, we all got changed into our water clothes and made straight for the newest addition to Santa's Village, the 3 full size water slides!
Dani coming down Red
Little Jason got turned around going down Green
Big Jason making a splash on Purple
Once we'd all had our fill of climbing the stairs and going down the slides, we opted to hang around HoHo H2O the water-playground. Right next to the new slides and the heart of the waterpark, I am tempted to say that the adults had just as much fun if not more than the kids!
One of the best features of Santa's Village is the way they squeeze every ounce of fun into all corners of the park. From playgrounds, to Reindeer swings, to photo props, there is something to do even walking between amusements.
The day was so much fun for the kids and for us adults. After spending over 5 hours in the park, the clouds started to move in and a thunderstorm was on the horizon so we all decided it was a good time to head home, but on the way out we realized there was still so much we had missed! We're already talking about a return trip before the season is over. So many great memories that the boys will be telling everyone about for months to come! It was a real splash!
